It’s a sweet swan song for Kentucky’s seniors in win over MTSU

As he looked around the stadium and saw his fellow seniors hug their coach and rejoin their families, it started to hit safety Mike Edwards.

He thought he’d be OK until “My Old Kentucky Home” started.

It had an effect, even on a guy from Ohio.

“They started playing that sad music, and I was like, ‘Why they got to play that sad music?’ It hit me right then,” Edwards said. “This is a bunch of guys I came into this class with and it’s really sad that it’s our last game.”

For this group of 16 seniors honored at Kroger Field on Saturday, it was about ending things on a high note.

In a 34-23 victory over Middle Tennessee that wasn’t always pitch perfect, it was still special, starting with Edwards plucking a pass out of the air and running it back 66 yards for a touchdown.

“It’s big for the seniors,” Edwards said. “Big day for us and for me to get that pick-six and finally get 300 tackles was big for sure.”

Edwards’ interception for a touchdown, his 12 tackles, including his first that helped him become just the 19th member — and just the second defensive back — of UK’s 300 Tackle Club, were among many big moments.

And so many of those moments were by seniors on Senior Day.

“I have great, great appreciation for this team, but especially this senior group,” Coach Mark Stoops said after the win, which was Kentucky’s eighth of the regular season with one game left to play at Louisville next week.

With that victory, this UK team made its way into rare air, becoming just the fourth to win eight regular-season games in the past 57 years.

It’s the first time Kentucky has had eight wins in the regular season in 34 years when the 1984 Cats did it. The only other times it has been done were in 1976 and 1977.

“Hard fought victory, eighth victory,” Stoops said. “When you’re doing things that haven’t been done in 34 years or whatever it is, it’s not meant to be easy. It’s not easy. I have great, great appreciation for this team, but especially this senior group.”

There was senior Josh Allen, rewriting the individual history books while his team rewrites the overall one. The linebacker had to wait until the fourth quarter against a strong Middle Tennessee offense to get his record-setting sack.

Allen, who had a career-best 15 tackles, now owns the UK career sacks record, previously set by Oliver Barnett in 1989. Allen’s second sack of the day on Brent Stockstill gave the linebacker 13 sacks on the season, breaking Dennis Johnson’s single-season record of 12 from 2001.

One of Allen’s sacks came on fourth down, ending a Middle Tennessee drive that could have tied the game when the Raiders clawed back from being down 17 points twice in the first half.

Other seniors had their moments, too.

There was tight end C.J. Conrad catching an unlikely 11-yard pass from Terry Wilson to make UK the 24-7 lead with 8:40 left in the first half.

Wilson scrambled, locked eyes with Conrad in the end zone and then lofted one over three defenders. Conrad finished with four catches for 51 yards and the score. Wilson ended the day with 121 yards and a touchdown on 10-for-14 passing.

Even though he isn’t a senior per se, there was Benny Snell running for 116 yards and two touchdowns to lead the UK offense in what likely will be his last game at Kroger Field.

Both the junior and his coach hinted that he’s headed for the NFL Draft after this record-breaking season, which has him within striking distance of becoming the Cats’ all-time rusher.

There was kicker Miles Butler, who had been benched in favor of freshman Chance Poore in recent weeks, hitting first a 38-yarder early and then one from 32 yards out when the Raiders had cut the Cats’ lead to 31-23 early in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard pass from Stockstill to Patrick Smith.

Stockstill played a nearly perfect game, throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns on 30-for-33 passing. He was helped immensely by Chaton Mobley, who ran for 98 yards on 19 carries, and who also caught five passes for 62 yards and one score.

While Kentucky’s defense wasn’t perfect, especially on the perimeter, it was able to get to Stockstill when it mattered, late in the game. The Cats sacked the quarterback seven times, including on key third and fourth downs at the end.

Two seniors, defensive tackle Adrian Middleton and cornerback Chris Westry, notched sacks on their Senior Day, too.

“We need to play better,” Stoops said, calling out the defense specifically after it gave up 392 yards.

“Just frustrated with the way our position on the ball and leveraging the ball and some of that. And, again, give them credit. … We got to get some things cleaned up. There will be a lot to look at and improve on from this game.”

Next game

No. 17 Kentucky at Louisville

7 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2)

This story was originally published November 17, 2018 at 6:21 PM.